The City of Love somehow did not inspire me to feel amorous at all. Then again I was not with a sexy man...
We took the horrible night train from Venice to Paris that took an excruciating 10 hours. 6 people occupied one cabin and the beds were like triple bunk beds. It was stuffy and yet cold and the noise of the doors outside clanging shut everytime the train departed from the stations irritated me. Imagine.. I who slept with ear plugs found the noise unbearable.. and not to mention the shaking of the train.
An officer on the train wanted to take our passports with him "For immigrations purposes" he said but I adamantly told him that I would not hand over my passport. He got a bit upset and threatened that the police will come for me. "Tell me to see me," I said coolly. When he went off to the next cabins, I enquired in the other cabins if the occupants had passed their passports to him. They all nodded in affirmative. I still thought that it was a strange procedure and so when the officer returned to collect the other passenger's (who got on board later) passports, I still refused to give mine to him. I needn't have worried because he returned everyone's passport about an hour before they got off the train.
We got off at Gare du Nord.. most convenient as our Hotel Grand Magenta (with a name like that I was really thinking that it would be crawling with prostitutues). It was a tiny hotel with a tinier lift (it could barely fit Shirrene and I together with our luggages. However, the good thing was, we had TV with CNN and we watched it every night we were in Paris.
We went to the Louvre on the 1st day. Spent 6 hours there and it was seriously NOT ENOUGH! What an impressive collection they had. We were at the Egyptian section for the longest time. Then we were off to see The Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci. You could only wave at Mona from a distance of 20 feet. There were so many people jostling each other to take a picture. So much for being captivated for hours by her enigmatic smile.
2nd day.. we spent it at Versailles (Parisians say "Ver sai" - sounds like shit in Hokkien). We took a train straight to Chateau Versailles and wandered in the magnificient grounds and the summer palace of King Louis XIV. It was opulent with rooms 'drenched' in gold or pink fabrics or yellow furniture and chandeliers (I had thought that Mark's impressive house by the Palace in Melaka would look a little like this). As far as the eye can see from the windows of the palace were the garden grounds. The gardens would take your breath away. Especially after you had to walk 3 hours to visit the length and breath of the gardens. There was the Grand Trianon and Petit Trianon and others which Shirrene refused to visit due to the xtreme walking that was needed.
3rd day - Eiffel Tower... my knees started knocking when I thought about climbing the tower....A strange feeling came over me when I was admiring Eiffel. Maybe the combination of the height and the thought that Tom Cruise proposed to his current girlfriend here made me a little sick. Visited Pompidou Centre -only viewed the frontage (it houses modern art - like huge LCD TV screens and fantastic new do-interesting-poses chairs). Also walked in Rue du Martin for the arty things like postcards, paintings and creative inventions. Trudged along Champ Elysee to see the Arc de Triomphe. We had to stop by Louis Vuitton after so many Chinese from China begged us to buy the bags for them. Apparently they were only limited to one bag a person. As if I was going to buy for them to make money!! What did I get in return?? LV was PACKED!! Were they that cheap? I had no idea as I was not familiar with the prices back home. We had a scare in LV.. Shirrene grabbed me and said that her money pouch and passport was not with her... we rushed back to the hotel in hopes that it was safe.. thankfully it was!
Definitely think that Paris was charming.. even the people were friendlier than the Romans. Always start the sentence with "S'il vous plait...Parlez-vous anglaise?" They warm up to hear you try to speak their language. And 4 days is also not sufficient to enjoy Paris.
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Saturday, August 13, 2005
Lido, Murano, Burano, Torchello and Verona
Lido : The beach on the island Lido was THE BEACH for the Venetians. It was an ok beach.. you can give it a miss. Nothing really spectacular. But the hot chocolate there was the best that I have ever tasted in Italy. I was so inspired that I bought 3 boxes. (better to feed Spot and anyone else who comes to visit me!)
Murano : The place where glass making originated. We took the vaparetto there and promptly went into the glass making 'factory' where a man was making a vase and a fish - quite impressive. The man who was explaining the process whose name is Leno started talking to Shirrene and I. Shirrene insisted that he was checking me out.. who are you kidding?? Anyway, he was so impressed with us cos we bought a set of froggies (me) and octopuses (Shirrene) that he 'decided' to show us the GALLERIA.... where the beautiful pieces of art that never loses its value were sitting. It was impressive but the price tags were even more impressive...into the thousands and ten thousands of Euros.
Leno kept on saying that if we ever need him, we have only to whisper and he will be there.... charming or what... I think he reminds me of a very oily man. If you ever go there, do not buy anything... too expensive (we found that out much later!)
Burano : Such an enchanting little island where the houses are painted in bright happy colours ie fireman red, sunflower yellow, naranja orange, ultramarine blue.. etc. Burano is famous for lace but I was not impressed by the collection I saw and sadly most of the lace are made from China as it is just too expensive to make by hand in Italy now.
Torchello : Small fishing village with a very ancient tower in the middle and a fat carnivorous like cat basking in the sun but virtually uninhabited. You could still find an odd bed and breakfast place or boutique hotel and a few decent restaurants but go only if you wish for utter serenity with minimal activities.
Verona : A 2 hour ride into the west of the Veneto (supposed to be only 1.5 hours but it took us 2 to get there), it is the background of which Romeo and Juliet (Giuletta)'s tragic romance took place. Went to visit Juliet's house and watch countless people molesting her right breast in hopes of returning to Verona again. Her right breast looked so worn out and shiny.. I must say that is seems flatter than her left which Juliet cleverly covered with her own hand.
Surprisingly, Verona looks like a fancy shopping place.. with designer goods in shops along the streets. It also houses one of the best operas 'stadium' where there are shows almost every night - in Italian - of course.. or we would have watched it. When we were there, it was showing Turandot by Puccini - so interesting... if I could only understand it.. dang!
Murano : The place where glass making originated. We took the vaparetto there and promptly went into the glass making 'factory' where a man was making a vase and a fish - quite impressive. The man who was explaining the process whose name is Leno started talking to Shirrene and I. Shirrene insisted that he was checking me out.. who are you kidding?? Anyway, he was so impressed with us cos we bought a set of froggies (me) and octopuses (Shirrene) that he 'decided' to show us the GALLERIA.... where the beautiful pieces of art that never loses its value were sitting. It was impressive but the price tags were even more impressive...into the thousands and ten thousands of Euros.
Leno kept on saying that if we ever need him, we have only to whisper and he will be there.... charming or what... I think he reminds me of a very oily man. If you ever go there, do not buy anything... too expensive (we found that out much later!)
Burano : Such an enchanting little island where the houses are painted in bright happy colours ie fireman red, sunflower yellow, naranja orange, ultramarine blue.. etc. Burano is famous for lace but I was not impressed by the collection I saw and sadly most of the lace are made from China as it is just too expensive to make by hand in Italy now.
Torchello : Small fishing village with a very ancient tower in the middle and a fat carnivorous like cat basking in the sun but virtually uninhabited. You could still find an odd bed and breakfast place or boutique hotel and a few decent restaurants but go only if you wish for utter serenity with minimal activities.
Verona : A 2 hour ride into the west of the Veneto (supposed to be only 1.5 hours but it took us 2 to get there), it is the background of which Romeo and Juliet (Giuletta)'s tragic romance took place. Went to visit Juliet's house and watch countless people molesting her right breast in hopes of returning to Verona again. Her right breast looked so worn out and shiny.. I must say that is seems flatter than her left which Juliet cleverly covered with her own hand.
Surprisingly, Verona looks like a fancy shopping place.. with designer goods in shops along the streets. It also houses one of the best operas 'stadium' where there are shows almost every night - in Italian - of course.. or we would have watched it. When we were there, it was showing Turandot by Puccini - so interesting... if I could only understand it.. dang!
Thursday, August 11, 2005
La Serenissima Venezia
We landed at the Santa Lucia train station at 9pm... the night has just begun and we dragged our luggages and bagpacks across half a km of steps, stair and cobbled stones and got lost in the process of finding the Santa Fosca Hostel. The road signages in Venice was appalling.. but we finally found our hostel after asking around. Our hostel is actually a university dorm which they rent out during the summer months.
What struck us as we walked along the streets was that the atmosphere was gay and pleasant without the harshness of city life. There were happy people eating and drinking with beautiful shops dotting the roads and gleaming waters of the canals. No cars or motorised vehicles throng the roads and you only hear the patter of footsteps around and lively chatter.
It was cold that morning.. so cold I had to get up at 4am to wear 2 layers of sweater as the blankets were thin- just a piece of cotton sheet. However, when we went out the next morning, the air was crisp and there was a tinge of grey in the clouds but that was quickly disappearing in the rising of the sun high in the sky. We pottered around Cannaregio to look at the elaborately beautiful but strangely eerie Venetian masks that pop from almost every shop and corner. They range from the size of a fifty sen coin to the size of your torso (that huge esp those with plume of feathers on them). There were also endless gelato shops.. did I mention that my favourite flavour is WATERMELON.. taste as though you were eating iced watermelons.... yummmm. Shirrene was thinking that she could lose weight while travelling and walking so much but hey.. with eating a gelato/i everyday and eating 3 full meals of pasta, pizza and panini...there is no way anyone is going to lose weight.
Venice had this special Spaghetti ala Nero (or in any pasta) a dish with squid ink... it looks gross and smells hardly any better but it tasted quite ok but I would not eat it again! Shirrene stayed far away from that the moment she got a sniff of it.
Gondola... aah! The romance of it.. NOT! It looks like a regular boat shaped like Aladdin's shoe and would topple over when anyone gets in it! Ok ok.. it does look quite nice.. the seats look like they were meant for the Queen but I did not want to take the ride... a) It was too expensive.. 60-80€ for a ride (depending day or night) and b)I was with Shirrene. Hmmm... I did not mean that in a bad way. What we did instead was to take the vaparetto (a ferry) over to the many different islands that make up Venice. Did I even know that Venice is a cluster of island so close together that the bridges make them seem like they are part of the same piece of land!
What struck us as we walked along the streets was that the atmosphere was gay and pleasant without the harshness of city life. There were happy people eating and drinking with beautiful shops dotting the roads and gleaming waters of the canals. No cars or motorised vehicles throng the roads and you only hear the patter of footsteps around and lively chatter.
It was cold that morning.. so cold I had to get up at 4am to wear 2 layers of sweater as the blankets were thin- just a piece of cotton sheet. However, when we went out the next morning, the air was crisp and there was a tinge of grey in the clouds but that was quickly disappearing in the rising of the sun high in the sky. We pottered around Cannaregio to look at the elaborately beautiful but strangely eerie Venetian masks that pop from almost every shop and corner. They range from the size of a fifty sen coin to the size of your torso (that huge esp those with plume of feathers on them). There were also endless gelato shops.. did I mention that my favourite flavour is WATERMELON.. taste as though you were eating iced watermelons.... yummmm. Shirrene was thinking that she could lose weight while travelling and walking so much but hey.. with eating a gelato/i everyday and eating 3 full meals of pasta, pizza and panini...there is no way anyone is going to lose weight.
Venice had this special Spaghetti ala Nero (or in any pasta) a dish with squid ink... it looks gross and smells hardly any better but it tasted quite ok but I would not eat it again! Shirrene stayed far away from that the moment she got a sniff of it.
Gondola... aah! The romance of it.. NOT! It looks like a regular boat shaped like Aladdin's shoe and would topple over when anyone gets in it! Ok ok.. it does look quite nice.. the seats look like they were meant for the Queen but I did not want to take the ride... a) It was too expensive.. 60-80€ for a ride (depending day or night) and b)I was with Shirrene. Hmmm... I did not mean that in a bad way. What we did instead was to take the vaparetto (a ferry) over to the many different islands that make up Venice. Did I even know that Venice is a cluster of island so close together that the bridges make them seem like they are part of the same piece of land!
Monday, August 08, 2005
Waiting for Uffizi
Uffizi Gallery was last on our list for Florence/Firenze. We sauntered to the gallery on Tuesday morning thinking that at 9am we had ample time to finish the gallery and catch our train to Venice at 3.14pm. When we got there, (we already knew that the queue wud be long and we did not call early enough to book nor did we want to spend an additional €10 for booking with the agent), we were horrified to see the queue snaking around the gallery twice. We queued with our bladder that was already asking to be released. 5 and the half hours later, you bet that our bladder was bursting and to think that we still had to pay €6.50 for that stupid wait!!
But the Uffzi (Offices) gallery was a charming museum with works by Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli's famous Venus, Rafeallo, Perugino etc
You could deduce that we missed our train but then again.. what can you say about 2 idiots who want to save money but end up wasting 5 hours of their lives....??
But the Uffzi (Offices) gallery was a charming museum with works by Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli's famous Venus, Rafeallo, Perugino etc
You could deduce that we missed our train but then again.. what can you say about 2 idiots who want to save money but end up wasting 5 hours of their lives....??
Sunday, August 07, 2005
Under the Tuscan Sun
We took a bus to Siena yesterday... it was a Sunday and the bus queue was incredibly long. And to make matters worse.. the crowd did not exactly queue and the bus driver was yelling in vain for all of us to queue. We were like the people of the Malaysian bus stops.. all shoving and pushing so that we get to go in. We had to take the 12.10pm bus as we missed the 10.10 am earlier.. do not go on weekends.. the buses are few.
Siena was normal.. not really that spectacular after the beauty that we experienced in Assisi *definitely must put Assisi on your list if you want to go to Italy*. It is a medieval city that supposedly delightful but as we walked on foot around the place, we noticed that only Piazza Del Campo was anything to shout about. Used as a horse racing ground during the summer called Palio Di Siena, it is however filled with locals and tourist just basking in the glory of the ancient buildings surrounding them. And a tall tower.. not unlike the tower out of Harry Potter rises like a graceful phoenix in the dark forbidding sky.
Everything was brown but I was a bit disappointed after having such great expectations of the Tuscan region. However it was ok but I should think that Siena could be given a miss.
We took the bus to San Gimignano today. We had to take the bus to Poggibonsi and change to San Gimignano. What we did not know was that we needed to take the bus to Siena. Since there was a bus to Poggibonsi stated on the tv screen at the bus station, we thought it was that and missed the actual bus instead. How terribly confusing.
San Gimignano rises on a hill (334m high) dominating the Elsa Valley with its 13 towers. From the Torre Grosso, a tower which had me in fear and trembling as I climbed the seemingly endless flight of unprotected steps which metal steps that had holes in it so that you can see how far down you will fall if you are careless, I managed to see the beauty of the rolling hills and green plains. Climbing down was another ball shrinking exercise. I was suitably exhausted after the climb..not from the physical exertion but the mental torture of acrophobia.
I bought a lovely apple green box bag which I could not resist at €50 and met a charming shopkeeper in the process. He said that I was the first person that he has met who asked if I could touch the merchandise first. He actually only became charming after I asked for permission to handle the goods. He then went on and on about how inconsiderate tourists are about fingering merchandise and how the kids with sticker fingers due to eating gelati would ruin his goods.
We had vernaccia wine gelati which can only be found in SG. I had a glass of lovely SG wine whilst basking in the warm sun rays seated in a chair overlooking the hills and plains of the gorgeous region.
Then it was back to dirty Florence.. and I don't mean Foong Sim
Siena was normal.. not really that spectacular after the beauty that we experienced in Assisi *definitely must put Assisi on your list if you want to go to Italy*. It is a medieval city that supposedly delightful but as we walked on foot around the place, we noticed that only Piazza Del Campo was anything to shout about. Used as a horse racing ground during the summer called Palio Di Siena, it is however filled with locals and tourist just basking in the glory of the ancient buildings surrounding them. And a tall tower.. not unlike the tower out of Harry Potter rises like a graceful phoenix in the dark forbidding sky.
Everything was brown but I was a bit disappointed after having such great expectations of the Tuscan region. However it was ok but I should think that Siena could be given a miss.
We took the bus to San Gimignano today. We had to take the bus to Poggibonsi and change to San Gimignano. What we did not know was that we needed to take the bus to Siena. Since there was a bus to Poggibonsi stated on the tv screen at the bus station, we thought it was that and missed the actual bus instead. How terribly confusing.
San Gimignano rises on a hill (334m high) dominating the Elsa Valley with its 13 towers. From the Torre Grosso, a tower which had me in fear and trembling as I climbed the seemingly endless flight of unprotected steps which metal steps that had holes in it so that you can see how far down you will fall if you are careless, I managed to see the beauty of the rolling hills and green plains. Climbing down was another ball shrinking exercise. I was suitably exhausted after the climb..not from the physical exertion but the mental torture of acrophobia.
I bought a lovely apple green box bag which I could not resist at €50 and met a charming shopkeeper in the process. He said that I was the first person that he has met who asked if I could touch the merchandise first. He actually only became charming after I asked for permission to handle the goods. He then went on and on about how inconsiderate tourists are about fingering merchandise and how the kids with sticker fingers due to eating gelati would ruin his goods.
We had vernaccia wine gelati which can only be found in SG. I had a glass of lovely SG wine whilst basking in the warm sun rays seated in a chair overlooking the hills and plains of the gorgeous region.
Then it was back to dirty Florence.. and I don't mean Foong Sim
Firenze
Florence's beauty comes from the sunsets at Ponte Vecchio where the river background with the bridges and golden rippling waters makes the city seem less formidable. It adds a serenity and beauty that softens the harsh skyline of the ancient city. Not that I am complaining about being in a city that is hundreds of years old where the facade is not allowed to be changed but I guess the water does it for me. Sitting by the bridge and chatting to strange men is most interesting. A Barcelonian offered to take my picture after he found out that I was trying to take a picture of myself with the sunset at the back (Shirrene was several metres away settled in her spot to take her shots). Pablo was such a nice young man with pasty white face and lotsa black stubs. We conversed in my smattering of Spanish. He came with his mum.. and he is an amateur photographer.. much like the hordes of people here with incredibly heavy equipment..estas loco!
Just got up and it's abt 9am now.. slept in a bit cos we were so tired and I had a little headache from sleeping with my head wet.
Finally got that jacket.. at 150€ but did not get a receipt for it.. I think that Ali (Iranian) the shop man at Myriam near the huge Duomo wanted to get away with tax... there were other shops that we went to that charged 240€ for the same piece and he wanted cash too!! Anyway, I am now a proud owner of a magnificient copy of Chanel's black leather jacket in lamb skin. How cool is that!
Hope to tackle Siena today (a lovely medieval city) and Gimignano tomorrow. The weather here has been less hot then in Rome. Not sure how much but it's nicer.
Just got up and it's abt 9am now.. slept in a bit cos we were so tired and I had a little headache from sleeping with my head wet.
Finally got that jacket.. at 150€ but did not get a receipt for it.. I think that Ali (Iranian) the shop man at Myriam near the huge Duomo wanted to get away with tax... there were other shops that we went to that charged 240€ for the same piece and he wanted cash too!! Anyway, I am now a proud owner of a magnificient copy of Chanel's black leather jacket in lamb skin. How cool is that!
Hope to tackle Siena today (a lovely medieval city) and Gimignano tomorrow. The weather here has been less hot then in Rome. Not sure how much but it's nicer.
Saturday, August 06, 2005
Sleeping with Romans or Italians
ROME : Sigh... the hostel of Sunshine 2 faces the square Piazza Vittorio Emanuelle II but instead of being serene.. the noise is incredible. Trucks would rumble in the night and wake us all up from our already drifting in and out of our sleep due to the stifling heat (there is no fan here in summer!). And the screening of a movie with a lady bursting out in loud operatic voice did nothing to enhance my rest. I thought that there was a riot or something of the same.
ASSISI : We took a 2 hour train to Assisi and watched the dirty grimy city faded into a blur and a gleaming community on a hill filled our sight. As we took the town bus to the heart of Assisi, we were stunned by the magnificient vistas of the rolling hills and sprawling areas of wheat dotted with homes and animal shelters. What a gorgeous view! We fell in love with Assisi..
People were friendlier.. in fact so friendly that one old man took us to the Albergo La Rocca where we were supposed to spend the night with such kindness on his face. I was apprehensive to follow him after hearing all the horror stories of them wanting money after they helped you. But no fear.. he just shook my hand longer than neccessary...
Assisi continued to delight Assisi me.... little streets that only allow one small car to pass but mostly no cars pass by.? Cosy stone homes near each other. You could talk to your neighbour from your window without yelling.? Cobbled stones on the ground with nooks and crannies filled with flowers or stalls with pretty things like art, painting and dolls. Tall towers with gleaming windows in the sun.. it was really delightful....we sud have stayed more than a night..even the room we had was such a contrast to the one in Rome. The windows of the room opened up to a view of the valley and a restaurant below. It was a perfect little spot to do my morning devotion whilst Shirrene took an hour to pack her bag.
I went to a shop selling paintings and bought 3 pcs of watercoloured postcards and when I went to pay.. the man smiled and me and Shirrene and walked over to a corner and gave us a postcard with a flourish "Presento!" With that he came over and gave me 2 kisses on my cheeks and did the same to Shirrene. Then after paying, he proceeded to kiss me again. I told Shirrene to take a photo of us but her hand shaking (not sure due to laughter or shock) that she never took one of him kissing me. He actually give very long and sloppy kisses and squeezed really hard.. I was the recipient of more than 6 of them. I had to push him away.. I would have really prefered if a man 50 years his junior did it ....dang!!
ASSISI : We took a 2 hour train to Assisi and watched the dirty grimy city faded into a blur and a gleaming community on a hill filled our sight. As we took the town bus to the heart of Assisi, we were stunned by the magnificient vistas of the rolling hills and sprawling areas of wheat dotted with homes and animal shelters. What a gorgeous view! We fell in love with Assisi..
People were friendlier.. in fact so friendly that one old man took us to the Albergo La Rocca where we were supposed to spend the night with such kindness on his face. I was apprehensive to follow him after hearing all the horror stories of them wanting money after they helped you. But no fear.. he just shook my hand longer than neccessary...
Assisi continued to delight Assisi me.... little streets that only allow one small car to pass but mostly no cars pass by.? Cosy stone homes near each other. You could talk to your neighbour from your window without yelling.? Cobbled stones on the ground with nooks and crannies filled with flowers or stalls with pretty things like art, painting and dolls. Tall towers with gleaming windows in the sun.. it was really delightful....we sud have stayed more than a night..even the room we had was such a contrast to the one in Rome. The windows of the room opened up to a view of the valley and a restaurant below. It was a perfect little spot to do my morning devotion whilst Shirrene took an hour to pack her bag.
I went to a shop selling paintings and bought 3 pcs of watercoloured postcards and when I went to pay.. the man smiled and me and Shirrene and walked over to a corner and gave us a postcard with a flourish "Presento!" With that he came over and gave me 2 kisses on my cheeks and did the same to Shirrene. Then after paying, he proceeded to kiss me again. I told Shirrene to take a photo of us but her hand shaking (not sure due to laughter or shock) that she never took one of him kissing me. He actually give very long and sloppy kisses and squeezed really hard.. I was the recipient of more than 6 of them. I had to push him away.. I would have really prefered if a man 50 years his junior did it ....dang!!
Sunday, July 31, 2005
Roma - The Eternal City
My first impression of the Leonardo da Vinci/Fiumicino airpot was that it was OLD. buses still ferry passengers from the plane to the arrival terminals and vice versa. What was also unappealing was that the buildings was old and dirty. We (Shirrene-my kindergarten friend and I) took the train of 9.50 Euro from the airport to Stazione Termini which took half and hour. I was beginning to be excited.. I was finally in Roma (as spoken in Italian) but as the train moved towards the centre of Rome.. I saw graffiti on buildings and some of the buildings were so old and dilapidated that it really should be torn down. When we landed at Stazione termini, a foul smell, not unlike sewerage, assaulted us.
We then walked to our hostel on roads that was littered with garbage. All the shops were closed (it was Sunday). a few suspicious looking characters were lurking around. We walked for at least half a hour (it sud have only been 10 mins)before we finally spied Sunshine 2 hostel. The signage was only 1cm x 4 cm long... cis! however the door was massive with big brass knockers. when it was opened, I saw a very ancient lift but we had to walk up the stairs.. dang!
Sunshine 2 was not exactly sunny. The people running the place was sullen and only allowed us to dump our bags and we have to go out until 4pm. It was 1.30pm and we were dead tired form out flight that took us 16 hours in total.
In the end we parked ourselves in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II where Shirrene promply fell asleep. I looked around and noticed that the park neither had the grandeur of Buen Retiro in Madrid nor the merriment of klcc nor even the usefulness of tmn Paramount.
As you can tell, I was sorely disappointed. But that is today... tomorrow will be better... much better!
We then walked to our hostel on roads that was littered with garbage. All the shops were closed (it was Sunday). a few suspicious looking characters were lurking around. We walked for at least half a hour (it sud have only been 10 mins)before we finally spied Sunshine 2 hostel. The signage was only 1cm x 4 cm long... cis! however the door was massive with big brass knockers. when it was opened, I saw a very ancient lift but we had to walk up the stairs.. dang!
Sunshine 2 was not exactly sunny. The people running the place was sullen and only allowed us to dump our bags and we have to go out until 4pm. It was 1.30pm and we were dead tired form out flight that took us 16 hours in total.
In the end we parked ourselves in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II where Shirrene promply fell asleep. I looked around and noticed that the park neither had the grandeur of Buen Retiro in Madrid nor the merriment of klcc nor even the usefulness of tmn Paramount.
As you can tell, I was sorely disappointed. But that is today... tomorrow will be better... much better!
Friday, July 29, 2005
How...
No matter how far I go away from your presence
I am still aware of it
Aware that no matter how great the distance I run
Your work on me has just begun
I am like a child who does not know enough
yet still stomping my feet to get what I want
Childish rage on my sallow face
Feltless tears that leaves no trace
Do I know what I want?
Is that the question I should ask?
Do I know what I ought to want?
Can I know how to get what I ought to want?
Thirty... how swiftly time has fluttered by
I am here for such a time as this
Yet.. what have I done?
Have I done anything of worth?
Or is everything like dross?
Worthless, useless, to be trampled on the ground
How far must I go?
How deep must I delve?
How painful must it be?
How much more must I see?
I am still aware of it
Aware that no matter how great the distance I run
Your work on me has just begun
I am like a child who does not know enough
yet still stomping my feet to get what I want
Childish rage on my sallow face
Feltless tears that leaves no trace
Do I know what I want?
Is that the question I should ask?
Do I know what I ought to want?
Can I know how to get what I ought to want?
Thirty... how swiftly time has fluttered by
I am here for such a time as this
Yet.. what have I done?
Have I done anything of worth?
Or is everything like dross?
Worthless, useless, to be trampled on the ground
How far must I go?
How deep must I delve?
How painful must it be?
How much more must I see?
Thursday, July 28, 2005
Mi Mancherai (I'll Miss You)
This song of Josh Groban from the movie Il Postino has been playing in my head and on my lips. I just find the voice of this talented young man like the voice of an angel.. not that I have heard angels before but that is how I imagined Gabriel and Michael to sound like when they sing!
Summary of the movie Il Postino:
The life of the fisherman Mario changes dramatically when the famous Chilean writer Pablo Neruda settles on his little Italian island. Living in exile becuase of his political beliefs, Neruda needs a postman to deliver the huge quantities of mail sent to him by his admirers and Mario takes the job since he hates fishing anyway. The two become friends and Neruda helps the shy and clumsy Mario to win the heart of Beatrice, the beautiful waitress at the village's inn, by showing him the beauty and power of poetry.
Mi Mancherai is the song from the movie and I am learning it as one of my Italian lessons since I am going over to Italy in 2 days. Yippee Italy.. here I come.
Also.. Pablo Neruda's works are beautiful.. I have a collection of his poetries but the one I love most is the one mentioned in the movie Patch Adam where Dr Patch spoke the words on the deathbed of his loved one... here it is in all it's glory.
I’ll miss you, if you go away
I’ll miss you, I’ll miss you, Why do you go away?
I’ll miss the immensity
I’ll miss you, my love
Summary of the movie Il Postino:
The life of the fisherman Mario changes dramatically when the famous Chilean writer Pablo Neruda settles on his little Italian island. Living in exile becuase of his political beliefs, Neruda needs a postman to deliver the huge quantities of mail sent to him by his admirers and Mario takes the job since he hates fishing anyway. The two become friends and Neruda helps the shy and clumsy Mario to win the heart of Beatrice, the beautiful waitress at the village's inn, by showing him the beauty and power of poetry.
Mi Mancherai is the song from the movie and I am learning it as one of my Italian lessons since I am going over to Italy in 2 days. Yippee Italy.. here I come.
Also.. Pablo Neruda's works are beautiful.. I have a collection of his poetries but the one I love most is the one mentioned in the movie Patch Adam where Dr Patch spoke the words on the deathbed of his loved one... here it is in all it's glory.
I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where,
I love you simply, without problems or pride:
I love you in this way because I don't know any other way of loving
but this, in which there is no I or you,
but this, in which there is no I or you,
so intimate that your hand upon my chest is my hand,
so intimate that when I fall asleep it is your eyes that close.
___________________________________________________________________
Mi Mancherai (translation)
I’ll miss you, if you go away
I’ll miss your serenity
Your words like songs in the wind
And Love, that you take away.
I’ll miss you, if you go away
Now and forever I don’know how to live
And joy, my friend, goes away with you
I’ll miss you, I’ll miss you, Why do you go away?
Because the love in you is dead?
Because, because...Nothing it’s gonna change, I know
And inside of me I feel you
I’ll miss the immensity
Of our days and nights,us together
Your smiles when it’s getting dark
Your being naive like a little girl
I’ll miss you, my love
I look at myself and I find emptiness inside of me
And joy, my friend,
goes away with you
Friday, July 15, 2005
PJ Public Library
I spent 2 hours in the PJ Public Library (Publib) today. It's near the Assunta Hospital. I have never been to a publib before. Only the ones in school and university and they were ok.. not great but sufficient for minimal research. I was quite impressed with the publib as my expectations were very very low.
I had been renting my books from a rent-a-book place which cost me RM30 at least a month cos I read about 6 books or more a month at the moment. RM31 is how much you need to pay to be a member of the publib. The idiotic thing is that you can only borrow 2 books at one go. On good days, I can read 2 books a day. Looks like I am gonna be going to the publib daily.
But I was there today to check out my watercolour painting guide and also my knitting guide.. talk about me being a grandmother... sigh! Where is the career woman gone to?.. in hiding I think. But I did do some studies related to 'work'. I was all alone in the 2nd floor of the library. I wandered to the 3rd floor and there was no one there too. I think Malaysians must not like to read so much... how to membangun sebagai satu negara yang maju dan bervisi?
I had been renting my books from a rent-a-book place which cost me RM30 at least a month cos I read about 6 books or more a month at the moment. RM31 is how much you need to pay to be a member of the publib. The idiotic thing is that you can only borrow 2 books at one go. On good days, I can read 2 books a day. Looks like I am gonna be going to the publib daily.
But I was there today to check out my watercolour painting guide and also my knitting guide.. talk about me being a grandmother... sigh! Where is the career woman gone to?.. in hiding I think. But I did do some studies related to 'work'. I was all alone in the 2nd floor of the library. I wandered to the 3rd floor and there was no one there too. I think Malaysians must not like to read so much... how to membangun sebagai satu negara yang maju dan bervisi?
Mad at Myself
I was trying to book flights on Ryan Air and Easy Jet and then realised that just one month difference in dates for something that is still a month away increase the flight fares to double. I am so mad.. it makes a difference of RM500. So sad.. sob sob.. I feel so stupid. Idiota! Estupido! Why don't I know this? Marido thinks that I am making a mountain out of molehill. He says " You learnt, right?.. c'est la vie". I refused to go to bed and he is now sleeping without me. I am still on the net searching for ways to go about cheaply in Europe.
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
Hair and Harry
Dang! I forgot to wash my hair again. I woke up this morning to a greasy hairdo not unlike Professor Snape of Harry Potter. Writing of Harry Potter... I am so excited about the next installment of HP. I was so wrapped up in the books that I feel so intense about Harry that after a while, Harry became a beautiful name to me... eeks! Check out the stories written as a spinoff from JK Rowling's characters in the following website:
http://www.sugarquill.net/
Here you can read about what was hinted in the actual books itself.. like the fluff between Ron and Hermione, Severus Snape's past, a glimpse into the lives of Mooney, Wormtail, Padfoot, & Prongs, Voldemort's beginnings.... stuff like that.. some of the writers are good!
Back to my itchy hair... I really must remember to clean them every alternate days. I remembered during a time when the hair was to my waist.. that was roundabout when I was 18, that i only washed it once a week. That was bad! I have oftened wondered now why my so thick 'Indian' hair diminished to "Chinese" hair after that looonnng hair and not much washing episode of my life. Seriously, I had hair that if I tied 2 pigtails, the ONE pigtail looked like my other friend's ponytail. Gone were those days. Now I just get my hair permed for the fake more volume look.
Marido was upset when I dyed my hair once.. and that was when I only dyed it mahogany.. can you imagine if I had gone blonde? So now, I just keep it black or dark brown.. whichever you call the colour. You know, I wish that I could dye Marido's hair to darker shade. But he thinks I'm crazy... but hey.. he streaked his hair blonde once and I was upset. I don't like blonde... dark is good... dark brooding type... nothing which Marido is. Hey! But no one's complaining.. ;)
http://www.sugarquill.net/
Here you can read about what was hinted in the actual books itself.. like the fluff between Ron and Hermione, Severus Snape's past, a glimpse into the lives of Mooney, Wormtail, Padfoot, & Prongs, Voldemort's beginnings.... stuff like that.. some of the writers are good!
Back to my itchy hair... I really must remember to clean them every alternate days. I remembered during a time when the hair was to my waist.. that was roundabout when I was 18, that i only washed it once a week. That was bad! I have oftened wondered now why my so thick 'Indian' hair diminished to "Chinese" hair after that looonnng hair and not much washing episode of my life. Seriously, I had hair that if I tied 2 pigtails, the ONE pigtail looked like my other friend's ponytail. Gone were those days. Now I just get my hair permed for the fake more volume look.
Marido was upset when I dyed my hair once.. and that was when I only dyed it mahogany.. can you imagine if I had gone blonde? So now, I just keep it black or dark brown.. whichever you call the colour. You know, I wish that I could dye Marido's hair to darker shade. But he thinks I'm crazy... but hey.. he streaked his hair blonde once and I was upset. I don't like blonde... dark is good... dark brooding type... nothing which Marido is. Hey! But no one's complaining.. ;)
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Hijos
Hijos mean "children" in Spanish.
I think about what it means to have kids. I think about it especially since one of my dear friends has just given birth to a giraffe (kidding.. the baby is a bit on a long side.. thus the nick given). Also because 3 of my oldest friends are also currently pregnant with their 2nd child. Goodness! I am surrounded by these great women who have braved childbearing once and are determined to have a go at it again.
So what does it mean for me to have kids? Sure, people have this wonderful notion of having kids because they like children (but these kids become adults and leave you!). My grandparents used to say that they wanted kids so that the kids can take care of them when they are older. If one kid gives RM100 a month, then surely 10 kids will provide RM1000. Alas, that did not happen. In fact, they are living an almost hand to mouth existence in a large bungalow in Labis, a small town way far south. But they are my deceased mother's parents and I have hardly any contact with them except for the annual trip home during Chinese New Year.
I see all the parents beaming when they talk about their children. It is as though the children represent their achievement in life. The kids doing things that the parents were never able to. The kids accomplishing dreams that parents were only able to fantasise in the snatches of time they had when they were not too busy with trying to raise them and earning their keep in this world.
I also see parents 'give up' their lives so that their kids can have a better life. Denying themselves new clothes so that they can clothe their children. Feeding their young with salmon and cod when they themselves ate ikan kembung or selar. Buying a bungalow so that the kids can run around when growing up when they themselves have lived in a small apartment and never suffered for it. Rushing around in the night after working all day in a fulltime job to ferry the kids from one tuition to another so that the kids will 'get a better education'.
I see all this and feel so weary. Yet, there was one colleague at work- Angie- who told me that all the weariness of work and stress and disasters of life seem to melt away when your child opens his arms and calls you his term of endearment for you. Another saw her kid like a wonderful plaything only that the plaything is alive and will follow everything you say and do - a "minime". 2 more in their forties (they could not bear children) emphasised that the children whom they adopted were now like precious gems. One even mentioned that even if her husband left her, she will not care as long as she gets to have custody of the child. Yet another tells me that it is in the design of nature to have children.
I guess I will never truly understand what all this means until I have my own child. And perhaps the decision then to have children is not from the fact that I SHOULD or WANT to but because I CAN. And because I can learn and savour in my journey on earth before I leave it.. the myriads of feelings and the adventure that God has in plan for me.
I think about what it means to have kids. I think about it especially since one of my dear friends has just given birth to a giraffe (kidding.. the baby is a bit on a long side.. thus the nick given). Also because 3 of my oldest friends are also currently pregnant with their 2nd child. Goodness! I am surrounded by these great women who have braved childbearing once and are determined to have a go at it again.
So what does it mean for me to have kids? Sure, people have this wonderful notion of having kids because they like children (but these kids become adults and leave you!). My grandparents used to say that they wanted kids so that the kids can take care of them when they are older. If one kid gives RM100 a month, then surely 10 kids will provide RM1000. Alas, that did not happen. In fact, they are living an almost hand to mouth existence in a large bungalow in Labis, a small town way far south. But they are my deceased mother's parents and I have hardly any contact with them except for the annual trip home during Chinese New Year.
I see all the parents beaming when they talk about their children. It is as though the children represent their achievement in life. The kids doing things that the parents were never able to. The kids accomplishing dreams that parents were only able to fantasise in the snatches of time they had when they were not too busy with trying to raise them and earning their keep in this world.
I also see parents 'give up' their lives so that their kids can have a better life. Denying themselves new clothes so that they can clothe their children. Feeding their young with salmon and cod when they themselves ate ikan kembung or selar. Buying a bungalow so that the kids can run around when growing up when they themselves have lived in a small apartment and never suffered for it. Rushing around in the night after working all day in a fulltime job to ferry the kids from one tuition to another so that the kids will 'get a better education'.
I see all this and feel so weary. Yet, there was one colleague at work- Angie- who told me that all the weariness of work and stress and disasters of life seem to melt away when your child opens his arms and calls you his term of endearment for you. Another saw her kid like a wonderful plaything only that the plaything is alive and will follow everything you say and do - a "minime". 2 more in their forties (they could not bear children) emphasised that the children whom they adopted were now like precious gems. One even mentioned that even if her husband left her, she will not care as long as she gets to have custody of the child. Yet another tells me that it is in the design of nature to have children.
I guess I will never truly understand what all this means until I have my own child. And perhaps the decision then to have children is not from the fact that I SHOULD or WANT to but because I CAN. And because I can learn and savour in my journey on earth before I leave it.. the myriads of feelings and the adventure that God has in plan for me.
Monday, June 27, 2005
ScotchGarding my stuff
3M Malaysia is sometimes I believe quite ridiculous in packaging their product. Here I was trying to clean my knapsack with Fabric Cleaner and lo and behold, the instructions to cleaning was stickered over by a piece of white instructions about how dangerous the thing was if put into the fire.. boleh meletup dan lain lain. Granted that it was a must by the Kementerian Kesihatan but do they have to stick it on top of the instructions? So the bodohnya!! What is worse is that I could not peel it off. Try as I may, but no amount of peeling worked. In the end, I took a knife and sliced the sticker into many 'checks' and scraped off the stupid sticker. Really must complain to Ai Kee from 3M.. her copackers must really botched up the job.. either that or she did not give clear instructions... duh!
Sigh.. in the end, I just washed the bag in water and soap.. hopefully it is not damaged. But when it dries, i will definitely Scotchgard it. Wonderful product the protector is.. keeps fabrics from being dirtied and also from being wet. Great on sport shoes too ;) Here's to my travelling spree!
Sigh.. in the end, I just washed the bag in water and soap.. hopefully it is not damaged. But when it dries, i will definitely Scotchgard it. Wonderful product the protector is.. keeps fabrics from being dirtied and also from being wet. Great on sport shoes too ;) Here's to my travelling spree!
Friday, June 24, 2005
Benny's dance gals
We just had a "Shall We Dance" dinner and dance thingy by Benny School of Dance PJ at the Royal Selangor Club in the heart of KL. The RSC is such an old place and it started in 1884 and the 1st president of Mr Rodger - some chap from England then.Richard came to pick us up.. he is not featured in the pix but the man (he badly needs a hair cut.. his hair straggly and touching his shoulders - to think that he used to be a hairdresser- I would dread for him to be mine) is the cute teddy bear of a guy who owns a laundromat. All the way, Sieg moaned that she was not dressed up enough and not pretty either. I looked at her and was so amazed by her smooth porcelain skin, silky long straight hair, hazel eyes and her row of teeth held by Damon 3 braces (it actually made her look so adorable)... and her lovely greeny silvery dress.. and loopy earrings. It was quintessentially her. In fact, she is so lovely that everyone can't keep their hands off her.
Even Benny, our dance instructor would put his fingers under her chin when he is talking to her. Or pat her hair. She always cringes when he does that. Hey, the man is like 70 years old, ok? See the pix! But he is still strutting his booty or what is left of it after shrinking for the last 30 years.
The dancers (from the school in KL) dominated the hall. The school from PJ only occupied one table out of 15. What was most fascinating was that there were so many beautiful girls and not so many handsome man... in fact, there were hardly any men. The ratio 4:1.. poor guys have to keep on dancing with so many ladies to keep them happy.
Sieg and I were critically checking out the women's clothes. Our scorn of their attire was pure sour grapes. What was worse.. they danced divinely... prancing around during Rock and Roll, swaying their hips to the merengue, looking so seductive in the salsa, gliding like swans in the waltz... sigh... twas a bad case of sour grapes.
We finally took to the dance floor after much persuasion from the guys. Benny twirled me on the floor.. made me look darn professional. Peter and Alan were also very helpful in making me look graceful. Sieg was stuck with Richard the whole time and looked like they were engaging in other things rather than dancing. They were dripping with sweat by the time they were finished. I did not even glisten.
Poor Marido went for Cell Group and had to tell them that I was dancing away with other men. The rest of the group were not impressed. Har har. To think that I am gonna continue with this dance thing. Hey.. it's not as if there were any wildly stunning Spanish men there... BEG (big evil grin)
That all happened on 17th June 2005.
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
My sister's frog painting
I so jealous.. my sister can paint...!! And I cannot.. Oh well, at least someone is artistic in the family. I love the Australian Tree Frogs.. aren't they cute!
Monday, June 20, 2005
Marido...
Sitting by the computer and writing this blog with Marido moving around in the background doing his work and answering his work calls is very reassuring. This is so when you have a man who is always going away. He is going away again tonight on the midnight flight.
How does it feel like to have a man who is constantly not there for the days of the week? Actually, it's kind of nice. I get to do all the stuff I want without having to worry about him. And I have been so used to be single that it's actually great. You know, I still have problems sleeping when he is in the same bed. Eekss.. there is a body next to me!!
But I love the weekends when he is around. We get all set to go out and enjoy the world.. lovely things like a long breakfast at La Bodega (absolutely fav place of mine..love their soup.. did I mention that I am crazy about soup.. remind me to ask Spot for the great kiam chye soup slurping session), a walk in the Astaka park where the footballers will stare at us cos we so the weird looking, looking into pet shops and cooing at the little perros and gatos, shopping for stuff or just looking at the windows in awe of the beautiful things that man have created and the most delightful highlight of our weekend is sitting on our pale yellow couch by the window and chatting about how our lives have gone by the whole week.. Que bonito!
How does it feel like to have a man who is constantly not there for the days of the week? Actually, it's kind of nice. I get to do all the stuff I want without having to worry about him. And I have been so used to be single that it's actually great. You know, I still have problems sleeping when he is in the same bed. Eekss.. there is a body next to me!!
But I love the weekends when he is around. We get all set to go out and enjoy the world.. lovely things like a long breakfast at La Bodega (absolutely fav place of mine..love their soup.. did I mention that I am crazy about soup.. remind me to ask Spot for the great kiam chye soup slurping session), a walk in the Astaka park where the footballers will stare at us cos we so the weird looking, looking into pet shops and cooing at the little perros and gatos, shopping for stuff or just looking at the windows in awe of the beautiful things that man have created and the most delightful highlight of our weekend is sitting on our pale yellow couch by the window and chatting about how our lives have gone by the whole week.. Que bonito!
Friday, June 17, 2005
She jumped ship and jumped back in
I can't believe it.. my ex-boss (Little Momma) is actually going to retract her resignation! All for the love of money.. ok ok.. maybe not entirely true but hey! Hen (I shall call him that but he is actually the man in total charge of Consumer division) did counter offer. She was already so highly paid. GBM (grp Biz Mger) better paid than the NSM(Nat Sales Mger)??? Shockers! I wonder what she is getting now??
However I think that what really was the pull to stay was that she will be out of Big Momma's clutches (BM being the nasty one I mentioned in my earlier "ex-boss" blog). Little momma will now head a new department called Business Development and she is absorbed into the group instead of just Consumer. She will be in the loop about which company should be acquired, which company they should pitch to in terms of distribution offering.. and etc. She asked me if I wanted to join her.. is she serious???
Another chap resigned recently to join a greater FMCG company but mana tau.. after discussions, he was "coerced" into staying back. He had not made up his mind to stay or leave but his decision to stay back was simply announced during a conference when he was not there to defend himself. The other company got wind of it and called him to confirmed. The poor chap was so bewildered (cos he did not know that he 'had already decided' in a meeting that he never attended) that he was too shocked to respond in a professional manner and pissed off the other company. Ok Ok.. so he is very young in the working world. Sigh! What a mess, right?
Hope it's for the best for him... as for me..I sometimes wish I was still working.. all the adrenalin rush for the deadlines, the chats with principals, brainstorming for sales, projects to organise and spending and spending company money, travelling to branches and meeting up with the lovely and hospitable branch people... all these are so exhilarating. But I think about the IDOG.. damaged goods beyond my control, warehouse sales which I so so dread....working like a dog on weekends, at the beck and call of the Momma and other bigger shots, late nights, pimple laden face, red eyes, itchy skin, fickle minded people, product recalls (oh goodness.. you don't want to deal with product recall.. you will never recover) .... those bits I don't miss.
But I am leading a different life these days.. but more of that later.
However I think that what really was the pull to stay was that she will be out of Big Momma's clutches (BM being the nasty one I mentioned in my earlier "ex-boss" blog). Little momma will now head a new department called Business Development and she is absorbed into the group instead of just Consumer. She will be in the loop about which company should be acquired, which company they should pitch to in terms of distribution offering.. and etc. She asked me if I wanted to join her.. is she serious???
Another chap resigned recently to join a greater FMCG company but mana tau.. after discussions, he was "coerced" into staying back. He had not made up his mind to stay or leave but his decision to stay back was simply announced during a conference when he was not there to defend himself. The other company got wind of it and called him to confirmed. The poor chap was so bewildered (cos he did not know that he 'had already decided' in a meeting that he never attended) that he was too shocked to respond in a professional manner and pissed off the other company. Ok Ok.. so he is very young in the working world. Sigh! What a mess, right?
Hope it's for the best for him... as for me..I sometimes wish I was still working.. all the adrenalin rush for the deadlines, the chats with principals, brainstorming for sales, projects to organise and spending and spending company money, travelling to branches and meeting up with the lovely and hospitable branch people... all these are so exhilarating. But I think about the IDOG.. damaged goods beyond my control, warehouse sales which I so so dread....working like a dog on weekends, at the beck and call of the Momma and other bigger shots, late nights, pimple laden face, red eyes, itchy skin, fickle minded people, product recalls (oh goodness.. you don't want to deal with product recall.. you will never recover) .... those bits I don't miss.
But I am leading a different life these days.. but more of that later.
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
Sian
Thought that I have more time to write the blog now that I am not working but neh! It's not true. By the time I get back from all my activities at night.. I just want to curl up with a good book and my assorted range of herbal teas. Will try to share what the heck I do all day for weeks. Hmmm.. sometimes I wonder..
Friday, June 03, 2005
1st watercolour painting in 15 years
This is so ugly but it's the first piece in my art class today at Kolej Intec in Old Klang Road. The teacher is Cikgu Afni and she is younger than I am.. abothen?? Getting older leh! Anyway, I am on this bet with Marido that I can and will paint just as good as that acrylic painting of "birds of paradise" on my wall which is a pressie from my in-laws. It was painted by Anita Siedlecki, an up and coming artist in Australia who happens to be Marido's friend's wife and my FIL services her swimming pool. They had to barter trade pool services for that painting. Have a look at the painting at the link below
http://art-by-design.com.au/Frames/Aboutuspage.html
2nd painting - improvement
This one of the tulips is much better, don't you think? I so the kiasu.. will be painting loads these few weeks.
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